10-Man Chelsea Slump To 2-5 Defeat By Struggling West Brom
Manager Tuchel loses 14-game unbeaten record
Just one avoidable red card blanked Chelsea and inevitably caused manager Thomas Tuchel’s to lose his unbeaten start to life at Stamford Bridge as the Blues slumped to an embarrassing 2-5 home defeat to relegation-hunted West Bromwich Albion.
This stunning loss also dashed Chelsea’s hopes of strengthening their hold on fourth place and inflicting the unexpected setback is Sam Allardyce, a manager who loves proving his tactical worth against foreign coaches with lofty reputations.
Having introduced order at Stamford Bridge since his arrival on the hot seat, Tuchel watched everything come crashing down so distressingly against an unsung opposition.
Interestingly, it was the Premier League at its unruly, barmy, utterly illogical best. Consider the bare facts. Chelsea came into this game protecting a 14-game unbeaten run and were expected to take another step towards qualifying for the Champions League.
On the other hand, West Brom, who had won only two of Allardyce’s 16 games in charge, looked like relegation certainties.
But all that changed in the space of 90 extremely weird minutes. Chelsea could have no complaints after being outmanoeuvred by Allardyce, the Premier League’s greatest survival expert, and will slide out of the top four if West Ham win at Wolves on Monday.
They were a shambles and West Brom took full advantage, responding to Christian Pulisic’s undeserved opener, and rising seven points behind 17th-placed Newcastle thanks to an inspired performance from Matheus Pereira.
Naturally, attention will linger on Thiago Silva’s red card in the 29th minute. But while it was a turning point, it merely fitted into the narrative of the wider story. Although West Brom’s five goals all arrived against 10 men, the nature of the Brazilian’s sloppy dismissal summed up the difference between both sides.
Tuchel could see the warning signs from the start, flinging his arms in the air in frustration at Chelsea’s inability to carry out simple tasks. Rattled by West Brom’s high press, the Blues floundered. The match proved a brutal reminder for Chelsea on how far they still have to go under Tuchel.
The blow effectively ended the Blues’ 14-game unbeaten run under the German manager, and painfully underlined that securing Champions League qualification will be anything but a formality.
Having previously conceded just two goals since Tuchel took charge in January, the Blues were expected to have little trouble keeping a clean sheet against a side sitting 19th in the Premier League table. However, flaws remain in this squad, and they were brutally exposed by West Brom.
For now, Chelsea’s new attacking signings simply aren’t impacting games as much as expected. Much of the focus has been on Timo Werner but more is also expected of both Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic. – With
